Blue eye'd Blonds
by The Dark Angel Michael
Summary: Ino is rejected. she finds comfort in an unlikely friend. What happens when comfort turns into something more, and what happens when they get cought. NaruxIno. Smart/power Naruto just 'cause i really like it
1. Comfort and Flames

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter one

Comfort and Flames

She found herself in his arms. It seemed like she was there every day. Not that she minded. The feeling of his arms around her made her feel safe, like she couldn't be harmed. Sometimes she wondered if she only chased Sasuke so she could be in Naruto's arms.

"What did he say?"

"What does he always say?" She responded quietly. She didn't mind being rejected. That's not what hurt her. The comments he made while he was rejecting her were the things that caused her pain. Naruto was always there to comfort her and she always found peace in his arms.

"I don't understand why you put yourself through this. He's a bastard, plain and simple, and odds are he's never going to be with anyone." Naruto said. It was the line he used every time Ino ended up in his arms. He desperately wished that she could be there because she wanted to relax with him but he knew that wouldn't happen. She only needed a shoulder to cry on and he knew that. 'What would someone like her want with 'dead-last'?' he thought to himself. Sasuke would be the most fitting partner for her. He was the best at everything while Naruto was the worst. "Nothing." He said, answering his own question.

"What was that?" Ino mumbled into his shirt.

"Nothing, Ino-chan. Just thinking out loud."

"I wish you'd tell me what you were thinking. I still can't do the Jutsu my father showed me."

"When you get it down then you'll know. Look at it as motivation." He said with a small smile. Ino could always make him smile. Even when she was in pain. The last part hurt him a little. He knew he shouldn't be happy when she was hurt but she never felt like she was in any pain when she was with him.

Ino snorted a laugh out. It was a pleasant relief from the sobs that she'd been giving off just moments ago. "Stay with me." She said randomly. It was the only thing she'd wanted to tell him for the past… she couldn't even remember how long it'd been since Naruto first took her into his warm embrace. All she knew was that his arms were as warm as his smile and both managed to sooth her.

"Don't I always?"

"All night." She whispered, snuggling deeper into his jacket.

"Your father could find me. You know how much he hates me."

"My father won't come in my room at night. Besides, I need someone next to me tonight."

"I could, Henge into Sasuke if you want me to." Naruto said, truly hating the idea. The only reason that he even offered it was because it might make her feel better and right now that came before his own personal dislikes.

Knowing that he'd be willing to do something like that brought a true smile to her face. "No. I don't want to think about him tonight. I want Naruto next to me." Before he could say anything else Ino pulled herself away from his chest and laid down on the bed that they'd been sitting on. "Come' on." she said quietly. She only hopped that he would be able to relax like this. She knew that he felt pretty bad about failing the exams while she passed. And he'd told her about his little adventure to the Kage office. Hell, he'd brought the scroll with him. she called and he answered. That was all that mattered.

Naruto eased himself next to Ino. Her hair fell everywhere so he had to be careful not to pull it out when he finally settled. He loved her hair when she left it out of the pony tail that she always had it in. she never wore it in any other style during the day and Naruto felt particularly pleased to know that he was one of the few who had seen her in this state.

When she saw Naruto settle down on the bed Ino rolled herself over and pushed herself back so she was flush with Naruto. She reached out and pulled the thin, purple, sheet over their bodies. Naruto's body would provide all the heat she needed for the night so there was no need for the thick blanket that she normally slept under. "Thank you."

"I told you before. Your word is my law." It sounded cheesy, even to him, but it was the truth of the matter. He'd do anything she asked. The only thing that would make him say no was if her command involved him setting aside his dream. He draped his arm over Ino's stomach and tucked her head under his chin. It was an extremely intimate postion but neither minded. This was how they both wanted it. Even if the other didn't know it.

"I'm not going to sleep much tonight."

"Then neither will I."

"No, no, no. Mizuki said that you would have to show him a Jutsu from that scroll. You need to train tomorrow. If you don't sleep then you'll never get it." she didn't want to be the cause of his failure.

I've already got one down." He said, surprising Ino a little. Naruto felt her small body tense a little which made him laugh. "I didn't think you heard me. You looked like you were asleep but I didn't actually think you were." Ino frowned a little. She didn't remember falling asleep but it made a sense. Her day had passed quickly, almost too quickly now that she thought about it. Naruto laughed again. "As I said earlier. I got the basics of a bushin technique. The scroll said it was called Kagebushin. The scroll said that it was a physical clone. There were a few different uses for it that were listed but I don't do half the things that were on it. The only useful thing that I read was…" he did a little throat clear "The Kagebushin are physical manifestations of the user that are held together by the users Chakra. Should the clone's Chakra capticity rise then, upon dismissal, the user will gain not only the memory but the result of the training." Naruto said. He had memorized that part from the scroll. To him, it seemed like the most useful function of the technique.

Ino's eyes widened slightly at the concept. "Can you make any stable clones yet?"

"I was able to make two before you found me. I haven't tried to make any more than that."

'Wow.' she thought silently. She wondered if Sasuke could even pull off one. She looked back to everything that had happened that day. She wanted to find something to change the topic of conversation. Not that she minded hearing about how Naruto was growing but she didn't want to talk about being a ninja right now. "You kissed Sasuke." Ino said with a small grin on her face. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a reason to feel anything other than peace and sometimes happiness when Naruto was with her.

Naruto turned red behind her. "That wasn't my fault. Besides, it was disgusting. Not only did I kiss another guy but it tasted awful. Have you ever had spoiled milk because I swear it's all he drinks."

Ino had to actually bring her hands to her mouth to keep from exploding. She knew if she laughed right now then her parents would wake up and find Naruto in her bed and then they would instantly assume that he was trying something.

"Something funny?" Naruto said, his voice maintained a calming tone. One she loved to hear.

"I think Sasuke is right, Naruto, you are a baka."

"Did it make you feel better?"

She hesitated a moment. His voice was hardly a whisper now. Just low enough for her to hear it. It made the question feel so… intimate. Sure, everything about their current situation was intimate but the thing that made it weird was that it felt… good. Like it was supposed to happen. "Yes. It made me feel much better."

"Then it's not an insult. I'd gladly be called an idiot if it made you feel better."

"No." she said as she brought her hands down and placed them over his, intertwining their fingers. "I don't like you looking like an idiot. I do love your sense of humor though."

Naruto suddenly felt light. He knew that he didn't have a shot at her but he would become as close as he could get.

"I'm still not tired, but we should really try to sleep. Team selection is tomorrow and I need to be up."

"I've got to get up too. I'm planning on getting there before everyone so I can show Iruka-Sensei my new Jutsu." Naruto took a deep breath and pulled together everything that he could find. He didn't know if it was courage or just stupidity but he pulled it together. "I would like you to be there too.", 'that's not what I wanted to say,' he thought.

"Why?"

'Okay, say it right this time.', "I… um. I want to impress you." he said, feeling kinda stupid for still not saying what he wanted.

"I don't think anything you do tomorrow will impress me." Ino said, killing Naruto's mood.

"Oh… I'd still…"

Ino silenced him quickly with a weak head but. Knowing that the attack did no real damage she continued, "This… right here." She pulled on his arm a little. Showing him that she was talking about their current situation, "I don't think anything you can do will top this." She pushed herself back a little more. Trying to close the non-existent space between them. She had no clue what had come over her. Maybe she'd finally had enough of Sasuke's insults. Maybe she'd given up the 'maybes' and let the comfort that Naruto gave her take her over. Maybe, and to her it seemed the most likely, Naruto was perfect. Kind, caring, completely and utterly devoted to whatever and whoever he cared for, and, above all, he made her feel like she didn't have to cover herself. It was like she was naked around him. He could just look at her and tell exactly what was wrong or in some cases, right.

"Sasuke."

"Hurts me." Ino said. She rolled over to look at his eyes. "You, comfort me. You hold me till I ask you to let me go and I don't know how many times you've had to bring me home because I fell asleep in your arms. Now tell me. Sasuke, who hurts me. Or you, Naruto, who basically gives me everything I need. Not want, _need_." She leaned closer to him. "Now you tell me." They were barely an inch away from each other, "Which one, holds my attention." She closed the last inch. Naruto relaxed into the sensation. It felt like his entire being had been forced to his lips and was slowly working its way back into his body.

When he had feeling back in his body he pushed away from Ino. "I'll do this. If it's to comfort you like I always do then fine, I can deal with that. I would prefer it be out of honest emotion though."

"Naruto." Ino breathed. She reclosed the distance between them. Her lips were against his but they weren't pressing against his. They were just there. "How many times have I asked you to stay next to me?" she pressed herself against him. Lips, chest, stomach, hips, thighs, calfs, and feet. All of her was against him. The only separation that was left was their clothes but neither was about to remove that barrier. Naruto returned the kiss. This was what he wanted but he doubted that it was real. He'd probably fallen asleep and woken up in a dream before he could notice it.

Ino was the first to break away. She inhaled sharply, trying to refill her lungs. "Sleep now." Naruto said. He was sure this was a dream and he wasn't going to get his hopes up by continuing this only to wake up and find that it wasn't real.

"But." Naruto lightly kissed her. This only added to the weight in his chest.

"Sleep. I always wake up first and I know that you'll enjoy waking up to my lips against yours."

That sounded like a great way to wake up. "Fine. Tilt your head up." he did so immediately and Ino tucked her head under his chin. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

**(Mindscape.)**

"Do you think that I don't watch my daughter!?" Inoichi yelled as he dragged Naruto into his own mind.

"Inoichi."

"Don't you dare call me by my name, Demon." Inoichi spat. He'd watched the events unfold from his own little hiding place. He'd heard about the scroll being stolen and the Hokage had ordered them to find Naruto. Ino was the first thing that came to mind. He didn't care if he had to disobey orders from the Hokage he was going to check on his daughter. If the Demon brat was on the loose then she was going to be safe.

"**Is it wise to call my vessel a Demon while the monster that makes him one sits behind you?"**

The new voice made both Naruto, who knew only that he'd been pulled into his own mind by Inochi's Jutsu, freak out. His gaze shifted to the cage that resided behind the blond man. It was huge, he thought, larger than the Hokage tower. He could only see two large, red, eyes behind the cage. The sight might not have scared him. There was one small problem though. The eyes were staring right at him. "What are you?" Naruto asked. Using the calm voice that Ino had taught him.

"**This man wants your head for touching his daughter like you did." **Kyuubi said, making no attempt to hide his amusement.

"This is the boys mind, demon. The mind is my battle ground. It'd do you well to watch your mouth while you speak to me here." Inoichi threatened. His gaze locked with the foxes.

"**Do you think your pitiful techniques will do anything to me or the boy? As long as I'm in him then nothing you can do will touch him." **Kyuubi still sounded amused. The human that stood before him was making a threat. A threat that he couldn't back up with actual power. **"Shits like you are the reason that I detest humans. Thinking that you're all powerful. There is only one human, alive that I respect, and the only reason I respect him is because of a dead-mans wish." **Kyuubi shifted his massive eyes to Naruto. **"You better thank me boy. If I wasn't in your head right now then the shit over there would be able to kill you."**

Inoichi saw red as the fox used its own nickname for him. "You think I can't kill this boy, this… Demon?" Inoichi chuckled as he started to gather Chakra.

Kyuubi's eyes widened as Inoichi started the hand seals for a Jutsu that he recognized, **"Damn it." **Kyuubi growled. **"Kit." **Naruto instantly looked up thinking that this was the foxes name for him. Kyuubi had an evil grin on its face. **"If you fuck this up then you're stuck on your own. So you better try hard 'cause I don't feel like die'n just yet." **Kyuubi laughed as Naruto spit up blood.

Naruto dropped to his knees as his body seemed to light on fire. He felt the blood forming in places it shouldn't. His lungs, Throat, he could even feel it seeping out of his eyes. It ran down his face in the place of the tears he felt coming. He couldn't hold them back as the fire covered every inch of his body. He forced his head to look up at the monster before him, "what the... what are you doing." He forced out.

Inoichi finished the hand seals and forced his hands to the seal that was placed on Kyuubi's cage. "Die. Both you monsters…Die." He watched as the seal shattered.

"**Fire of hell. Rise from the ashes of the master and pass to the son. Burn down the walls of humanity and from its ashes, build the walls of the blood. Father and son, bound by blood. Burn the blood and seal the father. Join… join as family… as kin… as son" **Kyuubi chanted quietly. To Inoichi it sounded like a whisper as the fox repeated it over and over. To Naruto is sounded like a scream. His entire body still felt like it was on fire and he'd yet to get an answer as to why it was burning. The only clue he had was the foxes chant. Finally the chants ended and the pain flared inside Naruto's vains, **"Leave or die. You, Inoichi, have this choice." **

Naruto's body was thrust forward, into the air. All the pain that wracked his body seemed to concentrait in his chest. "the seal is broken. Without your support the boy will die from my Jutsu." Inoichi said, "and you with him."

"**WRONG!"**

A blood red line of flame shot from Naruto's chest, pircing through Inoichi and slammed into an invisible wall where the seal had resided. The flame ripped itself from Naruto's chest, leaving him with no feeling in his body at all. He was surprised that his vision remained. He watched as the flame jumped through Inoichi and condensed on the cage. The cage started to melt under the flame. It took a few seconds but you could clearly read the Kanji mark for 'seal' being burned into the cage.

"**This seal can never be broken be a Jutsu or living attempt. Only in the event of your death will it shatter and set me free." **Kyuubi looked from the parylized Naruto to the blond man that stood in front of his cage. **"Little shits still alive. Hmm… I guess it's best to leave him alive for the time being. The blond female wouldn't be pleased if her father suddenly died."**

Naruto held his eyes open. Even resting them for a second would result in him drifting away from the reality that he was in He opened his mouth to ask the only question he had on his mind. A guteral noise rose from his throat. He tried again and was still unable to produce words.

"**Rest for now. Tommorow the implications of tonights survival will take full effect. I'm sorry that things had to happen this way but the second he broke the seal you became completely vulnerable. You would have died. I did what I did to protect you and myself remember that. I did protect you."**

Naruto's eyes began to blur as Kyuubi spoke. He didn't want to close them but found it impossible to keep them open any longer. "Kyu…" he couldn't finish as his world went black.


	2. Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter Two

Hell

Naruto woke slowly. His mind had to take a minute to reboot. He looked around the room. The first thing he realized was that the walls weren't grey, they were a deep purple. This alone meant that he wasn't in his home.

"Mmm"

Naruto's eyes shot to the noise. He was half expecting an attack but when he saw Ino's sleeping form next to him his body relaxed. Memories from his dream played in his mind. Kissing Ino, Kyuubi. It all seemed so real and at one point he was enjoying himself. That fact alone made him sure that it was a dream. Ino wanted Sasuke not Naruto. This was common knowledge. Ino all but gave herself to the Uchiha. 'She only needs me for comfort.'

'**Why don't you keep your promise to her and see what happens, kit.' **

Naruto's body tensed as Kyuubi's voice rang through his head. 'That was a dream.' He told himself. 'Right?'

'**I can assure you that it wasn't a dream.' **Kyuubi said. His voice sounded weak, even through the mind link. **'The fire that burned the seal onto my cage came from you. It was, quite literally, your blood. It was… useless, and had to be removed. I used it to redo the seal so that you wouldn't die. Because the new seal is made from something inside you we now have this connection. It's how I can talk to you. I'll explain in detail later but you might want to use a Henge before you wake up you're 'friend'. You might scare her if you don't."**

Naruto, not questioning the Bijuu inside him, looked down at himself. He couldn't see any differences. He could see his orange jumpsuit through the thin sheet that Ino had covered them with. It felt a bit tighter than usual but there was always something out of place when he woke up. He tried to pull his hand up to look at it put found it trapped in Ino's grip. Their hands were still intertwined from the previous night.

"D-don't go." Ino muttered in her sleep. "Naruto." She said his name perfectly. There wasn't the sleepy murmur or stutter. It was as clear as day and it rang in his ears.

'I can't Henge myself if I can't get my hand.' He mentally noted. He still couldn't find a difference in himself that would scare Ino but he didn't feel like disobeying a millennium old monster that was inside him.

'**I'm going to have to do everything aren't I?' **Kyuubi mocked as Naruto saw the air around him ripple. **'Kiss your little girly.'**

Naruto inspected as much of himself as he could. His clothes were the same. Pulling his free hand up, he inspected the perfectly normal palm. Either there really was a Henge on him or he was seeing things and hearing voices in his head.

He looked to the sleeping Ino. She was half spread out on the bed. Her one side was completely crazy. Her leg had fallen off the bed and her arm dangled over the edge. On the other side she was completely even. Her leg was straight, pushed against his. Her arm was wrapped around his, ending at her hand which was also mixed together with his. It felt so comfortable but Naruto couldn't relax. He had to be sure that it was real. He didn't want this to be a dream.

He could kiss Ino. Reaction one, she wakes up and kisses him back. That would mean nothing that had happened the previous night was a dream and he wasn't crazy. Reaction two, she wakes up and throws him off her. He really wanted the previous night to be real. 'If I'm wrong then I lose the friendship that I've built with her. If I'm right…'

'**If you're right, which you will be, and then I'll be sure to throw in a nice treat for you later today.'**

Naruto sat quietly for a moment, debating his options. He wouldn't get another chance like this. 'Screw it.' he thought as he brought his lips to hers. He didn't want to push the situation farther than he already was so he kept it soft and gentle. He wouldn't fall to the fire at the back of his throat that he instinctively knew only her tongue could douse.

Ino woke with a start. She felt a soothing heat spread through her body and a light pressure on her lips. She smelled what she could only describe as light around her. She felt like the sun was shining down on her, flowing through her, and surrounding her completely. It was perfect. 'Naruto.' Her subconscious supplied. She pulled her dangling arm up and wrapped it around his neck, pulling him as close as she could. It was wonderful, she though. She'd never felt so… alive… complete… unique. She couldn't accurately portray the feeling with words. It was just… there. Floating through her.

"It wasn't a dream." Naruto whispered when he pulled back. He rested his forehead on hers. "Open your eyes." He said. She did so immediately. Blue met blue and neither could move their gaze. It was like a genjutsu had been placed over them. The sun leaked through the blinds sending slivers of light across their faces, illuminating their eyes. Illuminated, sky blue eyes, met illuminated, cobalt. 'I'm waiting.' Naruto thought. He felt like thanking the fox. He really didn't understand why he wasn't freaking out but he didn't care at the moment. All he wanted to do was hug one of the furball's tails.

'**You'll get your reward later, as I said.'** Kyuubi sat up in his cage and watched the scene. The re-sealing had done more than he expected it to. It was most likely due to the fact that his host's blood had been used to create the new seal. The fox sighed to itself. He'd done something unthinkable to save someone that he'd known for thirteen years. He'd known humans throughout their entire lives and never done something so drastic to save them. **'Kit' **Kyuubi said to himself. **'My Kit.' **He couldn't help but smile at that.

"Hmm. I really like waking up like this." Ino said in a lazy voice. She closed her eyes again and snuggled as close to him as she could. She felt his heart beat even though he was still fully clothed. She liked that. She liked that she could feel him though the barriers that separated them.

"Me too." Naruto responded.

His voice sounded deeper than normal, she noted. She didn't really care, but she wanted to mark all his features. She wanted to know him in and out. Naruto had talked to her before. They often had long conversations about their lives. It was his way of soothing her. He'd talk about things that had happened to him and how he always managed to make it through. At first she'd thought he was being a self-centered jerk but after an hour of conversation she realized what he was trying to tell her. _Life hurts, don't give up and you'll make it through._ She hadn't given up. She'd perused Sasuke for as long as she could remember and now she was with Naruto. She made it through.

"You have to get up." Naruto said. They'd been lying still for what seemed like an eternity. Time just seemed to freeze around them. Unfortunately, time was still passing and Ino had to be at the academy.

"What about you?"

"I've got to get out of here before your parents find me." 'Where is Inoichi?'

'**The shits on the ground outside. He attacked you through the window once you fell asleep. I'm guessing he fell when seal went through him.' **Naruto could hear Kyuubi's laugh echo through his head.

"Okay. You'll be at the academy today, right?" Ino asked. She wanted to ask why he suddenly seemed distant but Naruto had never been normal. Even she knew to be observant of his… moods.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. He wanted to go to prove he was worth of being a ninja but at the same time he wanted to talk to the Bijuu that he was holding. Why was his blood useless? Why did he need a Henge? He had questions that he needed answered and he knew that the Bijuu had the answers.

Something was bothering him. She could see it in the way his eyebrows scrunched together. He was thinking about something and he was thinking hard. "Okay. Try to show up though. I… I want you on my team if possible."

'Fan-girl.' Naruto thought as he refocused on the situation. She was a fan-girl. Or at least had been. She didn't seem like one now. She seemed like a normal girl. "I'll try. I've got things that I need to do though. They slipped my mind yesterday." He lied.

**(Random training ground, 10:27 AM)**

'… **and then he sealed me into you. I'm not sure where he got you but he made me swear to watch over you or he wouldn't do it.'** Kyuubi finished. It had taken most of the morning but he'd finally finished his story.

'So he saved you. You were dying because of Madrera…"

'**Madara' **Kyuubi corrected

'Madara. You were dying because of Madara. He tricked you and under his control you attacked Konoha.' Naruto summarized.

'**Yes. That is the simplified version of it. He used the eye that I gave him.'**

"Wow." Naruto said aloud. He hadn't really thought about why Kyuubi attacked. He'd heard the story from the academy and always thought that Kyuubi was an evil monster that only wanted to destroy everything in sight. This opened a whole new side to him. 'So the fourth was helping you and saving everyone else?'

Kyuubi sighed. It'd been a long time since anyone had talked to him this civilly. Most people just wanted to attack him, **'in a way. He could tell that I was in pain and he told me that he could help me. I couldn't really respond because I was still under Madura's control but he seemed to understand. When he reappeared he explained to me what he was going to do. It scared the hell out of me at the time. I mean really, who wants their soul ripped out.' **He laughed a little at the face Naruto made. **'He sealed me in you with the instructions of watching over you. Then he died. I watched the Shinigami take him.'**

Naruto got a small smile on his face at that comment. 'He died alright. He deserved to die.'

'**What?'** Kyuubi snarled, **'that man deserves respect.'**

'No, no, no.' Naruto said instantly. 'You're right he does deserve respect. He also deserved to die. If he hadn't died he would have been seen as a hero for stopping the Kyuubi. But he died and marked himself a legend. Hero's live their lives in fame. Legends live forever. He'll never truly die now. He'll live forever, in me, in everyone with an aspiration to become more than they are. He deserved what he got because now he won't ever be forgotten.' Naruto looked up to the sky. The clouds floated past, letting the wind carry them over the horizon. They were free, everlasting. Sure they disappeared but there would always be clouds. "The fourth was a legend."

Calmed down, the Kyuubi smiled softly at the boy. **'Kit… I think you've earned this.' **He said to himself.

Naruto's world swirled in front of him. Everything became distorted. The buildings in the distance started to crumble and the trees that surrounded the training ground began to die and decay. Even the grass began to turn brown. "What's happening?" He shot to his feet and looked around. It was happening all over. Smoke started rising from the village. His instinct kicked in and he shot himself in the direction of the smoke. He pushed himself as fast as his legs would take him. "Kyuubi! What's going on?!" he yelled as he dodged trees.

There wasn't a response. There was nothing. He heard nothing but the whoosh of the wind in his ears.

He burst past the tree line and found himself in his village. Some of the buildings had fire burning through them but it didn't seem to be doing any damage. It only seemed to be burning. "It's interesting isn't it?"

Naruto instantly turned, kunai drawn. He found himself facing a man who was at least six feet tall. He wore simple clothes and had dark brown hair. All in all he looked like a normal person. The only thing that made him seem abnormal was his eyes. They were glowing red behind his bangs. "Who are you?" Naruto asked with a confidence he didn't feel.

"Hmm." The stranger grunted. He looked at Naruto as if he was studying him. "You're not much. Drop the Henge by the way."

The air around him seemed to wrinkle for a moment. Once it returned to normal, Naruto looked down to inspect himself.

"You've got good eyes." The man said. Naruto looked up to find a mirror in front of him. Naruto looked himself in the eye and was a little startled by what he saw. His purples had become slits. Not much else mattered to him as he inspected himself. His hair was slightly longer and he was a few inches taller. He didn't notice anything else.

He kept finding himself drawn to his eyes. They scared him slightly but they also felt comforting. "Well, now that we've got that out of the way." He snapped his fingers and the mirror vanished. "We've got a lot to do. You can call me sensei, by the way, I don't feel like telling you my real name."

"Sensei?" Naruto questioned. The man looked nothing like a ninja and Naruto didn't feel particularly interested in learning right now. Deciding that it was best to ignore the man he turned and ran a different direction. He knew a million ways to get to the Hokage tower and that was his goal. He needed to find Sarutobi. He ran the entire way, not slowing down for anything. He noted that there were no people anywhere. They weren't in the homes that were collapsed to rubble and they weren't on the streets that were broken and tattered. There was no sign of life at all, not even plants. He reached the steps to the tower and stopped immediately.

"That took you too long." The man said as he stood up. "While these stairs are comfortable I don't enjoy sitting in one place too long."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked calmly. The man was obviously fast and that could be dangerous.

"I'm your sensei." He responded with a smile. Before Naruto could say anything else he found himself flying down the streets. Pain stung in his gut where the man had punched him.

'I didn't even see him move.' Naruto thought as he slammed into a wall.

"Welcome to hell, Naruto." Naruto looked up from the rubble that trapped him to see two red, glowing eyes staring back at him.


	3. Valentine

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else I've used in this story. I own nothing in this story. So… yeah. Nothing is mine.

AN: I've been busy for a while so I'm making up for it by writing non-stop. I'm in a trance like thing right now where I feel the need to write so it all works out. _Peace Out!_

Chapter Three

Valentine

Red. It had become his favorite color. Blood. It had become a normal sight. He guessed that the two things were connected but then again, he didn't really care. His body was full of Kunai and blood was leaking from every cut. He flooded his skin with Chakra to push them out. They flew in all directions. He couldn't care less about what they hit all he cared about was the monster that was attacking him.

'whoosh'

He vanished in a mist of red just as a kunai flew toward him.

"Pass."

It was all he needed. It was over. He didn't feel happy, he didn't feel accomplished. Nothing. His heart had rotted with the torture his mind had been put through. He remembered little of what had happened before he came here. How long had it been, he didn't know. He stopped counting after the first year.

"Look at yourself." His sensei ordered. A mirror appeared in front of him as it did every time his sensei commanded.

He inspected his body. He wore boots that came up to mid shin. The front of them had gold plating attached. His black pants were tucked into the boots so that he wouldn't trip over them. They were baggy around his thighs and waists. His torso was covered in a black sleeveless shirt. His left arm had a golden gauntlet over it that ran up to his shoulder. The fingers of the gauntlet were claw like. He wrapped a tattered, red, cloak around himself. The cloak's hood covered most of his face. He could still see the eyes though. The held a faint glow to them now. It was an amusing sight for him. He'd come to admire his sensei's eyes simply because of the glow.

The mirror vanished as if knowing that Naruto had completed his self-inspection. "What was the point of that, sensei? I know what I look like. The image is nothing new." he looked down to where the kunai had sliced into him. It was already healed. It almost disappointed him. A part of him wished the cuts would stay. The scars that they would leave could be marks. They could prove his humanity.

"You are not human. Maybe once, but even then you were something more." The man looked over his apprentice. He'd trained many in his lifetime. None had pushed so hard, none had lost so much. Naruto was truly a wonder and silently he wondered how much Naruto had given up becoming what he was now.

Naruto was completely unfazed by the comment. He knew he wasn't human anymore. He wanted to blame the Kyuubi, but he couldn't even feel the beast anymore. He looked at his bare arm. He had a simple flower on it. There was no color. It was just a black outline of a flower. He'd demanded that it be put on him before he started his training. A faint smile tugged onto his lips as he looked at it. It was hard to forget why he put it there. "Ino." He said to himself.

'You'll see her soon.' He moved toward Naruto. Before he could reach him a flash of red passed him and he felt the sharp edge of a kunai on his throat. 'Remarkable.' He'd never had a student pass him before. He knew one thing. Naruto wasn't something that could be messed with. No, he was one of the few lesser immortals that was worth of standing with the Bijuu. "Pass, again." The blade disappeared and before he could blink, Naruto was back in front of him, his hood down. His mangled blond hair held up by the red cloth that he'd wrapped around his head.

"I've bested you for weeks. When will I leave?" Naruto asked coldly.

Without hesitation, his sensei answered. "Today." Naruto's eyes widened slightly before going back. "You've learned everything that I can teach you. You've gained the skills that you're world uses. There's not much that I can give you to make you better then you are right now. If I could I wouldn't because honestly I'm scared of what that would make you. People are sent to this plane to learn and you're the best student I've ever had. You pass, you go home. It's that simple." He met Naruto's eyes. "I let the students who pass know what my name is. Most take it as their own, though I doubt you will."

Naruto smirked. "I might, old man. You're the strongest bastard I've ever had the pleasure of fighting."

"I'm the only bastard that you've ever fought to the death."

"Then why the hell are you still here?"

He laughed whole heartedly at his students joke, "if I could die then I probably would. Unfortunately I can't." he smiled at Naruto. "My name is Valentine. Markus Valado Valentine. My last student was… gifted. Vincent." He sighed at the thought. "He promised me that he'd come back and kill me. Never did. What about you Naruto. You gonna come back for me."

"Sensei." Naruto said. He could have used his name but this was his sensei. He deserved that respect. "I'll kill you. Even If I have to die and go to hell to find you. I'll end you. I swear."

"Good." He looked at Naruto. "Why are you still here?"

"It's your job to make me leave." Before Naruto could prepare himself, Markus jabbed a Kunai into his stomach. It had happened before. He'd gotten a kunai between the eyes once for allowing himself to be knocked out. "Bye." Naruto forced out as he collapsed on the ground. Pain danced through his body. He'd felt worse so he just grunted and let it flow. Pain was passing, he knew that it would eventually fade and then it wouldn't be anything more than a memory.

Memories…were fleeting.

**(Konoha academy)**

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as his blond teammate stared dejectedly at the wall. He wanted to help her out but he knew his offer wouldn't be accepted.

The wall wasn't that interesting. If anything it was a little better than dull. The designs were well done but nothing that one would notice unless they took the time to stare at it. Ino was staring at it. Naruto hadn't shown up. He hadn't even been there to congratulate her and her team. He'd expressed how proud he was the night before but she wanted to hear it again. She wanted to hear him talk to her and tell her how good she'd done. Naruto wasn't anywhere to be found. He wasn't at her house, nor his apartment, or anywhere else that Ino had thought to look. Nobody had seen or heard anything about him and most of them sounded pleased that he hadn't showed up.

Choji munched happily on his chips as he watched Ino. They had decided to go out to eat to celebrate passing their sensei's test and being official Genin. Ino hadn't really wanted to go but Choji had convinced her. Shikamaru went along because he didn't have anything else to do. The table was mostly quiet as they ate. Shikamaru was daydreaming, Ino was lost in her own thoughts, and Choji was glad to be with his friend.

"It's a shame Naruto didn't pass." Choji said randomly. He had hoped that his blond friend would pass. They'd worked together to perfect the Henge technique and Choji felt bad that he hadn't offered to help with the bushin.

"Yeah." Shikamaru agreed. Naruto had been his lazy partner. Whenever Naruto was feeling slow he would find Shikamaru. He wouldn't say it openly but Shikamaru enjoyed having the company while they watched the clouds. It was their favorite pass times.

"He was probably busy." Ino said, "He has train for next year's exam." 'He could have passed this year. He got the Kage bushin. Why wasn't he there?' She wanted to be angry at him, she really did. She wasn't able to though. Perhaps it was the way he was acting before they parted ways. He'd been in a hurry and it bothered her. Why would he be in such a hurry so suddenly? Maybe he'd forgotten something from the previous night when she found him and asked him to be with her for a while. She didn't know. And that because she didn't know, she was worried.

"That's true. Knowing him he won't stop going to the academy till he passes." Choji said with a smile. He bit down on another chip with the funny thought of an adult Naruto in the academy floating through his head.

"Odds are he won't need another time." Shikamaru said quietly while he looked for a clock. He knew that Naruto was good. The only problem he had was the bushin. Shikamaru couldn't figure out why it was such a problem for the blond. He wanted to say that it was a simple jutsu and that a child could do it but he knew that he'd be lying. There was no simple jutsu. Even the beginner jutsus could be the hardest thing in the world. It all depended on the situation.

"Yeah." Ino muttered. She followed Shikamaru's gaze to the clock. She didn't have to be home for a few hours but at the moment she didn't feel like staying out. It wasn't like her and she knew it but she couldn't help it. With a sigh she stood, "I've got to get. My dad wanted my back early today so we could work on a new Jutsu he was trying to show me yesterday." It wasn't a complete lie. Her father had wanted to work on their clan Jutsus but she really wasn't planning on training. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah, D's'" Choji said sarcastically. He honestly wasn't looking forward to D-ranked missions.

Ino gave a weak smile. "Yeah, can't wait." She gave it a little bit of fake enthusiasm but it really didn't do much. She just waved and left quickly.

"Something's bothering her. She's never home this early and she's never worried about training." Choji said as soon as Ino was gone.

"True. But it's not like we can do anything. It'd be too troublesome to drag her out and she probably won't tell us what's bothering her." Shikamaru said as he stared at the door.

"Bum." A deep voice said from the booth behind them. A figure cloaked in red rose and turned to leave. He was tall, easily matching Asuma's five foot eleven. "You need to watch your teammates back. Even if you think it's pointless you should always try to help them." he seemed to collapse into the cloak that covered him as he finished.

"Who was that?"

**(Hokage monument)**

Naruto had showed Ino the Hokage monument during one of their first interactions. She'd never really thought about it as a place to relax but Naruto pointed out that almost everyone thought the same way and that's why it was such a great place to relax. Nobody ever came there. It was silent and you could see the entire village. Ino sat atop the thirds head. She contemplated sitting on the fourth's head but decided that she needed Naruto to sit there.

"I thought you didn't like it here."

Ino twisted her head to the side to find the source of the voice. There wasn't anyone there. She looked around the small field that resided on top of the monument. There was nobody there.

"I'm sorry I missed team assignments."

Again she looked around the field. She got up and spun in a circle trying to see anything she missed. There was nobody there. She was alone. Maybe she was insane. Why she'd gone insane was beside her as well as why she was hearing somebody's voice. She'd never heard it before but something seemed distinctively familiar about it. "Who's there?" she yelled. It seemed childish but she didn't feel anyone. The only living things that she could sense were the animals around her.

"Me."

She spun on her heels to see where the voice came from. He was tall. That was the first thing she noticed. She only reached his chest. She looked up to see his face. A pair of glowing blue eyes looked back at her. She got trapped in his gaze. She couldn't see his face well because of the shadow the hood casted over it but she could see the eyes. "Who… who are you?" she asked shakily. Ninja were trained to be emotionless, fearless. She was a genin. A new genin at that. She was scared.

"My name… is Valentine." Naruto said in a low tone. He could tell that Ino didn't recognize him. He didn't blame her, he hardly recognized himself. Naruto felt his heart beat a little faster though. He wanted Ino to recognize him. He wanted her to hug him, hold him. It was what kept him going. He saw the look in her eye and recognized the fear she held. "Your… friend wants to see you. He'll be waiting at your home. Now if you'll excuse me." He Flared (Flared: the term I'm using for when he collapses into himself. Think of it as a Shushin technique) himself as far as his body would take him. "She doesn't recognize me." Was all he could say?

**(With Ino)**

'Home'

She forced herself to move faster. It didn't matter that her legs were screaming in protest. All she cared about was getting home. She blew through the door and darted to the stairs.

"Ino, honey." Her mother called from the living room. "I didn't expect you to be home so early."

Ino silently cursed herself for not thinking about her family, "We finished our meeting mom and since most of the other teams are still out I decided to just come home." She lied. It was easier than she expected to come up with and it sounded believable to. Without waiting for a response, she continued up the stairs. "Naruto." She said as she pushed open the door to her room.

"I wondered how long you'd be out." He said in his usual, joyful, tone. Naruto leaned against the headboard of her bed. His head was tilted back and his eyes were closed. He'd been able to Henge himself completely.

She walked over to her bed slowly. Looking at the subtle things that she noticed were different about him. For starters he looked tired. Like he'd been working all day. Deciding to start on that, she crawled up next to him. "Where were you today? What were you doing, you look so tired.

'Henge is an illusion.' He told himself as he rolled toward her, taking her into his arms. He had to be careful. A Henge could be dispelled by someone who notices it. He knew that they worked on it in the academy. It was one of the few times he showed up for class. Ino could dispel it if she noticed it. He had to be careful. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I had stuff I needed to do. Things… I had to get some answers." He pulled away from Ino and got off the bed. He scanned the room and searched his memory for the place he'd hidden the scroll. Finding it quickly, he returned to the bed. "This scroll should be returned." He handed it to her.

She eyed it suspiciously. He'd been asked to learn one jutsu from it. She knew that he wouldn't stop at that though. Naruto was Naruto. He wanted to learn all the Jutsus that his mind was capable of learning. Why would he pass up this chance? She decided to question him about it. He was acting unusual already but this was pushing it. "Why. You only had to learn one but why stop there."

Naruto smiled at the girl. He wouldn't tell her that he knew everything that the scroll offered and had mastered it. He couldn't tell her that. She would want to know how he learned it all so quickly and there was no way he'd tell her that he'd been trained in hell for years. "This scroll is full of forbidden Jutsu that are only meant for a Kage's eyes. I'm not Hokage yet. I'll see it again and I'll learn them all then." He said with the soft smile on his face the entire time.

Naruto was almost scaring her. He was so calm, collected. It wasn't like him. She didn't mind it in the least but it was odd to see him so… still. Even when he'd held her there was always shifting. He moved slowly to avoid disturbing her but he always moved. Naruto seemed perfectly still right now. She wanted to take advantage of it. She took the scroll from his hand and set it on the ground next to her bed. Ignoring it for now was the best choice in her opinion.

She turned back to him to find him gone. "Ino-chan." His voice whispered into her ear. His arms wrapped around her stomach and pulled her to his chest. He leaned against the headboard again with Ino leaning against him. There was silence after that. Ino sat there wondering what happened to Naruto to make him like he was. He very presence sent a soothing chill through her.

'Hana' was all he thought. He had his flower again. He'd missed her so much it made him fight back tears. How was she having such an effect on him? He'd trained to be a monster for years and now he'd spent five minutes with Ino and he was fighting back tears. 'Hana.' He thought to himself. He'd had a flower tattooed on his arm to keep her in his memory and now it was the only word that could go through his head. "Hana." He whispered silently. She was his flower.

"Kiiro-sei. (Yellow-spirit)" Whispered back. "Yellow, like your hair." She smiled at that. Blond fit him. She had blond hair too but it just seemed right on him. It made him stand out. It made him different.

This was different. He was used to constantly being on guard but now he felt completely unguarded, completely vulnerable. For once he didn't mind. 'Relax, breath, see.' he chanted in his head. If he took a minute to breath and relax he could see everything clearer. It didn't work though. He couldn't find anything different that it had been. There wasn't anything hidden that he could find. They were just relaxing together, with each other.

Ino shifted in his arms, turning so she could face him. She stared into his eyes for a moment before their lips connected. It was wonderful, easy. It was all the things that he'd imagined it being while he'd been without it. Her touch was so soft against his arm. He couldn't feel it against his bare skin because of the disguised gauntlet but he could feel how it barely touched it. Naruto rubbed Ino's back as they broke apart. She looked so beautiful with the dwindling sunlight splashing over her skin. "Beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous." He breathed as he kissed her again, just barely brushing his lips against hers. It was more intimate than a full out kiss he thought. It felt like it was and it gave him a warmth he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at the academy today." He spoke quietly into her ear. "I wanted to be there. I really did. Things never seem to go just the way I plan though. It was for the best though." He kissed her earlobe lightly.

It was unreal. The simple action made her entire body spasm. She prayed that it didn't actually move but she couldn't help but want him to do it again. "It's okay. I'm a little disappointed that we couldn't be on the same team but I'm glad you're here. It all balances out." She pulled away slightly so she could see his face. "If you want, I'll help you with the regular bushin so you can pass next year's exam." It was the least she could do for him after all.

"While that sounds like fun, I don't really plan on going back to the academy." He said, still using the hushed voice he'd been using the entire time.

This shocked Ino. Naruto wanted to be Hokage. If he wasn't a Ninja then he couldn't be Hokage. "But… but what about your dream. You shout about it every day. You can't give up that easily." All her suspicions were confirmed with that. Something was wrong.

"Leave that to me, _Hana_, I don't plan on giving up. There have just been a few setbacks that I need to take care of before I can fully chase my dream." He met her gaze solidly, "I will be Hokage, Believe it!" he silently yelled.

A part of her believed him but she was still doubtful. "Just don't give up Naruto. It's not like you to just give up."

"_Hana._ I'll never give up. I'd rather face hell." He said with a small grin. Hell he could take. Failure was something he couldn't allow himself to face. That would be too much for him. To fail when his flower asked him succeed was worse than hell.

She breathed a laugh. Yeah, that was a Naruto answer. She cupped his cheek and yet again found herself kissing him. It was such a natural action. She hardly noticed herself lean in but she felt the connection. Her lips on his, her hands pulling his into them and intertwining the fingers. It was so simple in her mind. It just seemed right.

I FINISHED THE CHAPTER. YAY.

Okay for those of you who don't know. I tried giving Naruto, Vincent Valentine' appearance. Vincent Valentine is the dude in the red cape from final fantasy 7. He uses the three barreled revolver but that gun won't be used in this story because guns aren't exactly a ninja's weapon of choice. So yeah, just thought I'd explain that incase I did a bad job with the description. (The hood was my own personal touch.)

RxR.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. Or Final Fantasy 7.

Chapter Four

The Sandaime

It was rare that Naruto wanted to just stay in one place. Right now he did. He wanted to just stay here all morning and just watch Ino sleep. He on the floor next to the bed. Originally he'd been on it but at some point in the night she'd kicked him off. When he looked to see why he saw her sprawled out on the bed. Arms wide, legs apart, hair everywhere. It was truly a sight in his opinion. He'd been up since then. Just watching her shift in her sleep. It fascinated him how she moved without even knowing it.

"I'll see you later, _Hana._" He whispered as he flared out of the house. He wanted to stay with her till she woke but he knew it would be a bad idea. He was risking it by just staying there. Inoichi knew that he was there the first night; odds are he knew that he was there again. It would be stupid to stay and face the man. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind that he could win against the older man but he couldn't bring himself to fight Ino's father.

He walked slowly through the streets. The sun was beginning to show itself over the buildings and people were waking and beginning their days. He walked as himself, no Henge, and no hood. He knew that people might put together who he was because of the whiskers that were still on his face but he highly doubted it.

Naruto opened the large door to enter the Hokage tower. He needed to talk to Sarutobi and he knew the old man would be in his office.

"Can I help you sir." The assistant asked. Naruto looked at her and couldn't help but grin. This was one of the people that he knew hated him. She'd always resented him for being so close to the Hokage and he couldn't stop the smug feeling that rose in his chest.

"Yes I'm here to see Sarutobi-sama." Naruto responded as politely as he could.

She looked through the schedule that had been planned for the day. There wasn't really anything happening untill the afternoon, that was when the meetings started and the council gathered. Most of the early morning was just going to be spent on paperwork. "Just a moment." She said in the same polite tone. Naruto's grin widened at that tone. If only she knew who she was talking to. The lady pressed a button on the intercom.

"Yes?" came the static voice of the Hokage.

"You have a visitor. Should I send him in or should I set up an appointment for later?"

There was a quick shuffling, a crash, and finally a hushed curse before an answer came. "Yes, yes. You can send them in." The assistant laughed lightly at the winded response.

She smiled up to the man in front of her. He seemed familiar to her but she couldn't place who he was. "The Hokage will see you. I need your name so I can mark the meeting." She said as she pulled out a small notepad.

Naruto finally couldn't retain his full blown grin as he answered, "Uzumaki Naruto." There was a moment of silence before the audible sound of teeth grinding entered the room. Unable to stop a laugh, Naruto walked past the desk and disappeared in a spark of red.

**(Hokage office)**

It'd been a slow morning so far. Most of his mornings were relatively slow and he enjoyed the time he had to himself. He sipped lightly his coffee as he watched the sun light cover the village. It was an amazing sight to him. How nature made something so beautiful on its own. Humans had made many things that he considered wonderful but just sitting back and watching nature do something that it did everyday for no reason at all was a soothing sight for the old man.

The birds could be heard singing the same songs that they did every morning and the ninja were starting to become visible on the rooftops. It wasn't uncommon to see people bounding over the roofs in a ninja village but to him it only made the scene all the better. There weren't any signs of conflict and everything seemed to be at peace.

A small beep interrupted his thoughts. He sighed as he swiveled his chair around and pressed the intercom. He tapped the button on the small device, "yes?" he asked. He didn't really want any company this morning. He had things that needed to be done before the meetings began. Naruto was still missing and the scroll with him. Inoichi claimed to have run into him but even the mind walker had no idea where the boy was now.

"You have a visitor. Should I send him in or should I set up an appointment for later?"

He leaned back in his chair, letting it tilt back so he could think for a moment. It would be easier to just get it out of the way so that he could move on to the more important things. He leaned forward in his chair, letting it slide back to its original position. Without looking he reached for his coffee only to find it closer than he'd thought. His hand tapped the cup only slightly allowing it to tip to the side. "No, no, no" he caught the cup before it fell off the desk but he couldn't stop the coffee from spilling down his leg. He shot up immediately. The chair he was sitting in jumped back and crashed into the wall behind him. "Damn." He hissed as the hot liquid went down his leg. Pulling his pant leg from his leg he pressed the button. "Yes, yes. You can send them in."

Shutting off the intercom he fanned his leg lightly. It burned, sure, but he had been in hotter. Whistling to himself he rested back into his seat. "Ahhh." He breathed out as he relaxed into the chair.

"Shfwoo."

It was only a small noise. Almost unnoticeable to a normal person. Fortunately, Sarutobi Hiruzen was no normal person. "Drop it if you wish to leave this room unharmed." It was a whisper but it was accompanied by the feeling of metal against his neck. Sarutobi couldn't believe that he'd let himself fall to an unknown. Regretfully, he released the kunai that he'd readied. The second the kunai hit the ground it, along with Sarutobi, vanished in with a poof. "Very good. I'd hoped that the great professor wouldn't be caught so simply." He said in a pleased tone.

"You do realize you've attacked a Kage."

"You do realize that your ANBU aren't here apprehending me."

Sarutobi growled slightly. The man was correct, his ANBU weren't there. Under normal circumstances they would have appeared as soon as the unknown appeared. "Genjutsu." He muttered as he felt the light layer of Chakra that covered the room.

Naruto smiled widely under his hood. The Hokage wasn't failing. His original goal was to simply talk to the old man but he'd decided to mix it up a little before he let his secret out. It wasn't hard to get past his ANBU unit. He cast a genjutsu around the room. It wasn't a complex one and he was a little disappointed that the 'best in the village' were unable to see through it. "So, Hokage-sama. Would you like to continue this meeting in a more civilized manner?" Naruto said as he walked around the desk and dropped into one of the guest chairs.

"Who are you?" Sarutobi asked plainly.

"Awww. Come on Jiji." Naruto said in a fake whiny voice as he pulled back his hood. He knew that Sarutobi would be able to detect who he was quickly. If anyone could then it was Jiji.

"I'll kill you if you try to imitate one of my ninja." Sarutobi threatened.

This surprised Naruto. He would think that the Hokage would be updated on the genin teams. He knew for a fact that he didn't pass the exam and he was sure that most of the ninja in the village would still be looking for him. Deciding that there was a little proof needed he slid his hand behind his back to untie the scroll. "Here ya go old man." Naruto said as he tossed the scroll to the man.

He caught the scroll with ease and unfolded it to inspect it. 'This is it.' he said as he quickly scanned over the different jutsu and descriptions that were on it. "How did you get this?" he asked, now weary of the man in front of him. He had to be at least seventeen by the looks of it. The height and voice alone pointed to that. While he was still unable to see his full face, Sarutobi was sure that it had a mature look to it.

"I stole it from you. Oiroke no Jutsu is one hell of a jutsu." He laughed. His Harem technique was stronger and had a stronger effect but he wasn't trying to kill the old man. One could only lose so much blood. "Do you need anything else to prove who I am?"

"Lift up your shirt." Sarutobi said immediately. He only needed to see the seal to know that it was Naruto.

Naruto sighed as he thought about the seal. "Jiji… the seal isn't the same anymore." Sarutobi looked suddenly looked panicked. Naruto, sensing the old man's distress, immediately fixed his statement. "It's still there. Hell, it's probably stronger than it was before. I'm just saying that it's different."

"Let me see it."

Naruto rolled his eyes at the man's seriousness but reached for the hem of his shirt, none the less. He pulled it up till it was just above his chest. He smirked as the Hokage's face contorted in what he could only describe as rage. Naruto knew that Sarutobi was looking at his scars, the ones he'd gotten before he knew of Kyuubi. They were small Knicks and scrapes compared to what they were before and he could tell that they wouldn't be there much longer. The worst of all of them was over his heart. It was a detailed design of a fox head. The blade, he remembered, was thin and the user had been extremely skilled with it. He could faintly remember the searing pain as it was done but it was difficult to pull that particular memory up. It was so long ago.

"Don't worry Jiji. You did your best and if it wasn't for you then I wouldn't have lived this long." Naruto said with a small amount of sorrow in his voice. He smiled slightly as he centered his chakra into the seal. It appeared immediately, accompanied by a small gasp from Sarutobi. "I don't know the full effects of it. Neither I nor my sensei are well versed in seals. He's mostly a combat and practical applications instructor. Stealth, weapons, jutsu, taijutsu, Kenjutsu, you name it he knows it. Seals were never very practical in battle situations so he never took it up."

Sarutobi approached the young man and kneeled in front of him, staring at the seal. A double helix wrapping itself into a spiral. There was no doubt that it wasn't the one the fourth had placed on him. Unfortunately, Sarutobi wasn't a seal master so he couldn't accurately say what it did. One thing that he could say was that it was a strong seal. One of the best he'd seen. Naruto looked down at the old man and decided that it was best not to tell him that the Kyuubi had been the one who built it. "I can talk to him in my head now. I'm not going to explain why I look this way or what happened so you'll have to forgive me for that but I'll tell you that the fur ball hasn't been talking to me lately. I can still call on his chakra so I know that he's still there but I can't really say why he won't talk." He sighed, "I'm guessing that I'll have to talk to him in person before he'll say anything."

"Wait, wait, wait." Sarutobi said instantly. There were so many things that were happening and they were happening so quickly. "One, You can call on Kyuubi's chakra? Two, you've obliviously changed and I do expect to be told about it. Three, you can talk to the Kyuubi?"

Naruto was beginning to wonder if coming to the Hokage was a good idea. "Yes I can access the Kyuubi's chakra. It's quite powerful but I don't exactly enjoy using it. I'm usually strong enough to fight without using it but there are those rare occasions when something doesn't go as planned and I have it just in case. Also, yes, I can talk to the Kyuubi. He's nicer than most people would believe. He wasn't trying to…"

"You can't believe it!" Sarutobi yelled instantly. "Naruto, the Kyuubi is and always has been evil. You weren't there during the attack so I understand that you would be willing to trust it but you must believe me when I say that it isn't trying to help you."

"_It_ saved my life from one of the ninja in this village. When that ninja broke the original seal, _Kyuubi_, made the new one. _Kyuubi _left himself trapped and _Kyuubi_ saved my life. I know what he did and I know why he did it and because of what I know I can't blame him. Kyuubi is a monster, a demon. He knows that and I know it but he's helping me and I'm more than willing to accept it." Naruto said as balled his armored hand. "I don't expect acceptance from anyone I simply wanted to let you know I'm okay. That I'm back."

"Naruto…" Sarutobi wanted to say something, anything to make Naruto see things his way but he knew it was pointless. Naruto still maintained the stubbornness that his mother had passed to him.

"Jiji. Just… trust me on this. Kyuubi may be bad, but he isn't horrible. I know for a fact that there are worse things out there." he'd fought them and lost horribly. If it wasn't for his sensei then he would already be dead. The monsters on the plains of hell were far worse than any creature from the living world.

Sarutobi tensed is arms, not wanting to believe what Naruto was saying. With a sigh he decided to move on. Naruto obviously wasn't going to budge on the Kyuubi matter. "Who is this sensei you talked about and on top of that why do you look so different?"

Reasonable questions, well, normaly they were. Naruto couldn't let anyone know who trained him or where they were trained. He most definitely couldn't say that they'd been in hell. "It may have been a single day since you've seen me, Jiji, but it has been much longer since I've seen you. I'm not going to go any farther than that so forgive me for your confusion." He reached down, gripping a small scroll that was attached to his belt. "Here" he said handing it to Sarutobi.

"What is it?"

"It's my contract." Naruto said simply.

He opened the scroll and glanced over it. True to his word, it was a contract; it was for entering the village's ninja ranks. What confused Sarutobi even more was why the boy… young man was giving it to him? Mercenaries for hire were given them when they joined the village for however brief a time. As long as the contract was in effect, the holder was a part of the village's ninja ranks. Often they were considered Chunin since most mercenaries were self taught but a few were capable of being considered Jonin.

Naruto was in the academy though, why would he need one.

"I'm not going back to the academy Sarutobi-sama." He said, surprising the old man. Naruto never called him by his name. "It would be a waste of my time and I wish to stay with my current class. The contract states that I'll be given the rank of Chunin and be allowed to take part in the training of whichever team you chose. Due to… circumstances I think it would be best if I was under your son, Asuma, and team ten."

Sarutobi spent a few minutes reading over the scroll that Naruto had given him. Everything he'd said was true, even the ranking. He finally looked up to Naruto, "you listed you're sensei's skills." He stated, remember what Naruto had previously said. "How adept in them are you."

"I've surpassed him in every way." Naruto said. "How do you think I got behind you so easily?"

"Indeed." The man muttered. It took a long time, easily an hour. They just sat there as the Hokage read and re-read ever clause over and over again, making sure he didn't miss anything. There were only a few small changes from the normal contract and he didn't really mind any of them. The only one that he wanted to ask about was near the end. "You want the council to have no say in your actions?"

"Yes." He answered, "I will be in the direct service of the Hokage, whether it be you or your successor. They will have absolutely no control over what I do."

A small smirk grew on Sarutobi's face, 'smart.' He thought. The council would be less than… accepting. They would want to have control over the Kyuubi child's actions and if he were a normal Shinobi they would have a miniscule amount of control over him. Mostly when it came to the political part of the missions but it was still enough to let them get their way.

"That's acceptable." He looked up at Naruto.

It wasn't the same boy he'd seen only a few hours before. It saddened him that he was signing the contract. Not because the boy was finally a member of Konohagakure's Shinobi force but because of the circumstances it happened under. He not only didn't know who trained Naruto- something he realized the young man had skipped – but he had no clue _exactly_ what Naruto could do. He supposed that was why Naruto asked to be placed under Asuma.

It allowed Sarutobi to keep a better eye on him than if he was with another sensei. "Team ten should be meeting right now." he said as he handed the signed scroll back to Naruto. "They meet at training ground twenty seven. Here, give this to Asuma." It was just a small note but it had Sarutobi's seal on it. "You can go now if you wish. I'd like to talk to you again though, today hopefully, after your team meeting."

"Of course, Jiji." He said before he vanished, a red spark marking his exit.

"Another day… and another headache." He muttered as he turned back to the window, looking out of the now active village. This Naruto was an odd, unexplainable, creature. His skills, his mind, even his body. He had no clue what had caused the change but he knew, in the back of his mind, that Kyuubi was an active participant in the change.

**(Training ground twenty seven)**

Naruto appeared above the training ground. He wasn't as much flying as he was falling. He'd simply made sure that he arrived high enough to give him ample time to see the team on the field.

'**Does it feel good to be back?'**

'Kyuubi!?' Naruto mentally yelled, not expecting the voice in his head.

'**Do you hear other demonic voices in your head?' **Kyuubi asked mockingly

Naruto ignored the joke and focused on landing. He hit the ground as silently as possible before refocusing on Kyuubi's voice. 'Where have you been?' he asked. He hadn't heard form Kyuubi since he'd forced his body into hell.

'**I'm a living demon, Naruto. I exist inside the realm of the living. The demons of hell are another class entirely. We aren't allowed to enter the other plain at all. When you entered hell I completely shut myself off. I didn't allow myself to connect to the outside world at all.'**

The blond thought about it for a moment. 'Why was I able to use your chakra then?'

'**Because of the new seal, like Valentine most likely told you, you've become a half demon, a Hanyou. Hanyou are able to enter both realms without consequence and because you're a Hanyou of my creation you were able to use my chakra without worrying about the other demons.'**

'So… as long as I'm in this realm I'll be able to communicate with you but not in hell.' Naruto summarized.

'**Yes.'**

'Good. Now, if you don't mind, I have to meet my team.' He said as he moved forward, seemingly turning into a red mist.

BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB BEB

I'm back!!! Hello, hope you enjoy this. It's been a long looooooong time since I updated this one so I worked on it.

Anyway… yah.

Peace Out!


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